Guides’ delight at Rotary award

Henry Dow of Loch Ness Rotary club with Kinmylies Guides.

A NEW city Guides unit is promising to do its best with hundreds of pounds it has been donated as part of a year-long cash giveaway.

The 15th Inverness (Kinmylies) Guide Unit was set up last November and because it is so new it has become our March recipient of £200.

Over the course of the year thousands of pounds – £200 each month – will be given away to deserving local causes in a special programme by the Loch Ness Rotary Club and the Highland News.

Wendy Hunter, leader of the group which meets weekly at Charleston Community Complex, said she was delighted they had been chosen to receive the funding.

She told the Highland News: “We are a new Guides unit which only set up in November. We got a start-up grant from the Guide Association but after that money is gone we have to be self-funding.

“This £200 will make a great difference to us. It will enable us to get more leader resources such as getting first aid training and camping permits so we can take the girls away. It will also mean we can buy interest badges and resources so they can carry out their “Go For Its” challenges, equipment for activities and games and arts and crafts materials.”

Wendy, whose patrol has 12 girls with capacity to take 16, added that they would also hope to buy a couple of spare uniforms they could have to lend out to guides.

“If we could do that it would enable those girls whose family struggle to purchase these items feel included in all aspects of the Guiding experience.”

Speaking on behalf of the Rotary Club, member Henry Dow said: “The guides is a fantastic organisation for young females to become involved with in their local community.

“The fact that Guide groups such as the one is Kinmylies have around half a million members in the UK and are part of the country’s largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women is something that is very much aligned with the ethos of Rotary.

“I am pleased to have had a chance to visit the group on behalf of the club to meet some of the members of Inverness’s newest Guide group. They have told us that they are going to use their £200 charter charity award to help them continue to develop their group and attract some new members.

“We obviously wish them well and hope they are very successful.”

If you would like to join the new Kinmylies Guide Unit, contact Wendy on 07973 492945.

Groups, individuals and charities are invited to apply for one of the £200 monthly awards by visiting www.lochnessrotary.org/fundingapplications.asp